Baji Rao: The Warrior Peshwa by Jaiwant E Paul

Author:Jaiwant E Paul [Paul, Jaiwant E]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mobilism
Publisher: Roli Books
Published: 2017-04-19T00:00:00+00:00

Mesmerized by Mastani

Mastani was the love of Baji Rao’s life. She came to him in May 1729 when he was 31 years old and stayed by his side till his death, and it may be said, even beyond. She lived with him at his Shaniwar Palace at Pune; she rode with him stirrup to stirrup on his numerous campaigns; she was his inspiration in battle; she was the mother of his son and when he finally died, she fearlessly chose to perish in the flames. Mastani was also the single biggest complication in Baji Rao’s personal life: she was a Mussalman.

Although Mastani was such a vital part of Baji Rao’s life, she remains elusive as facts about her are scarce. Most historians have almost nothing to say about her: some dismiss her in a single sentence; others have given her a paragraph, at most a page. Perhaps they swept her under the carpet because she was an embarrassment, a woman everyone frowned on. There are some references to Mastani in contemporary letters but they are difficult to come by. However, piecing together fleeting references to Mastani, an ephemeral and dreamlike form emerges.

Who was Mastani? Even that question remains unanswered, although according to the distinguished historian D.B. Parasnis, the most acceptable theory is that she was the daughter of the great Chattarsal of Bundelkhand from a Muslim mistress. Chattarsal presented Mastani to Baji Rao along with one-third of his kingdom, when the Peshwa went to Chattarsal’s aid and repelled the Mughals from his dominions. This opinion is corroborated by an account given in a Maratha Bakhar. In addition Parasnis refers to a genealogical account which he got directly from the descendents of Mastani, which support this belief. Pogson in his History of the Bundelas (1828) refers to Mastani as Chattarsal’s daughter. However, there is a second theory which is that Mastani was the daughter of Nizam ul Mulk who on the advice of his wife, presented her to Baji Rao after performing a mock ceremony of her marriage with a khanjar or dagger, hoping thereby to promote diplomatic relations with the Marathas. There are some other suppositions about Mastani’s origin but they are too imaginative to be accepted.

The earliest reference to Mastani in historical records is in a letter dated February 14, 1730, containing a statement about the cost of apparel and dresses presented to her on the occasion of the marriage of Baji Rao’s eldest son. Thus the beautiful Mastani makes a dramatic entry on the great stage of Indian history, elegantly robed and raimented. Other historical references to Mastani are few and far between but all agree about her sharp wit and exquisite beauty. Mastani was as far sighted as she was lovely and it is said, that initially she would not accept Baji Rao’s advances, until he pledged that any son born of their union, would receive a fair share of his property. The young Peshwa fell deeply in love with her and she with him. She rode

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